Composition – Introduction

Finally it’s here: the tutorial on composition. You might have read already the one I did on colour correction a while ago. I promised I would do another one about composition, and I’ve finally got around to doing it.

Calling it tutorial might be a bit of an overstatement, but well… I should probably say something like: tips on composition, as I’m really no expert, and my images don’t look absolutely fantastic. Still, if some of the stuff I know helps you get more out of your photograph, I will consider it a success!

So… shall we get down to business?

All of us can tell the difference between a bad image and a great image. Note that when I say bad, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the photograph is bad in itself, sometimes we may actually go after certain look for a specific purpose. Also, I might think something is good, but someone else might not like it. However, we definitely know when an image has the wow factor.

A photograph is always taken with the idea of telling a story, be it to tell a memory from our holidays, to introduce us to someone in a portrait, or even tell us about their feelings; to share an event with the audience, to describe a situation or opinion… Whenever we get behind a camera, we do so with the idea of telling something to someone.

As with a story, a photograph can leave us wanting for more, or not make any impact on us. A good photograph, from my point of view, is one that makes you stop in front of it when you see it, one that you can’t take your eyes off, and even maybe make you hold your breath for a moment. You see it, and something clicks inside you.

I think the key to good photography is curiosity. Look at every photograph you see, what is it that draws your attention? Is it the colour? The lines? Is it maybe the subject?

There are different elements that influence a photograph; those I mentioned above are but a few. I’m not a professional photographer, and I’m not a teacher or an expert in the matter, so I might be missing some, or you might have a different opinion. Whichever the case, I’m also here to learn so I would be happy to hear (read) your opinions on the topic.

As a quick catch up, here’s the index of topics again, for your reference:

Introduction

Colour

Exposure

Contrast

Background

Subject

Grain/Texture

Subject

Format

If you need to go back to the ones with the link, you can click here, or hopefully in the link below. I’m going to try to keep the whole tutorial linked, so that you can access each chapter in an easy, organised way.